Home Truths
by Darkling Pixie
Summary: Home truths can lead to shocking discoveries (AJ, CS Slash)
1. Default Chapter

*Indicates thoughts*  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Hey Jox, how are you doing?" Strife, God of Mischief asked his friend as he appeared beside him. Joxer looked up from his apparant contenplation of the fire in front of him to his unlikely friend.   
  
"Hey Strife. I'm ok." Joxer answered, his gaze returning to the fire.  
  
"Well, either you're lying and you're not ok, or I am missing what is so damn fascinating about that fire." Strife said as he took a seat on the floor by his friend.   
  
"Oh, it's Ares." Joxer said after a few minutes of staring dispondantly into the fire. Unbeknown to Joxer, a knowing smile crossed Strife's features.   
  
* When are those two going to wake up and smell the love. I mean seriously, talk about clueless. *  
  
Strife thought to himself about how clueless his uncle and his friend really were. Strife had known Joxer for about four years and had known of his friend's love for the God of War nearly as long. Strife also knew that Ares loved his friend and had done for a while. Strife knew his uncle would never confess his feelings, just as Joxer would never confess to his God his true feelings. A grin began to form on Strife's features as he considered the mischief he could make while also making his friend and his uncle happy.  
  
* Better talk to 'Dite about this one. She's the one who deals with all this love stuff. Well, and Cupid. But being around Cupid is soooo not a good thing for me. Damn winged hottie. Is it so much to ask for him to be butt-ugly? And not only is he gorgeous and nice and completely perfect, he's fucking well married! That bitch Psycho is so lucky. Not only does she get to be with Cupes, she also gets Bliss. The kid is so cute it's unbelievable. He's the image of his dad, he's even got the wings. Oh Cupies wings, they turn me on sooooo much. AAAGH!!! See this is why I should see 'Dite and not Cupid about Jox and Unc. *  
  
Strife ceased in his musings and looked up at his friend who was still conducting a thorough study of the campfire.   
  
"Jox, you still in there man?" Joxer merely nodded his head.  
  
"Oh it's nothing, just my general inadequacies as a human being and warrior certifying the reasons why Ares will never love me."  
  
* Oh my Gods, he's in complete depression mode. *  
  
"Jox, what in Tartarus are you talking about?"  
  
"Well come on, I am THE most inept warrior known to the world, I'm clumsy, I'm an idiot and no-one respects me." Strife regarded his friend for a moment before speaking. "Jox, that is THE biggest load of crap I have ever heard," Joxer's head whipped up "and I am God of Mischief I have heard some tales of utter crap in my time."  
  
"Huh?" Joxer asked in a slightly bemused tone.  
  
"Joxer, you are not worthless. Has that bint Gabrielle been telling you that you're worthless again. That bitch doesn't have a fucking clue. Joxer, you are one of the smartest guys I know, and so what you're a bit clumsy? It's probably because of that great big fucking piece of scrap metal you insist on calling armour. If you're father had taken the time to actually train you instead of using you as a human punching bag, then you might have been a half decent warrior." Strife finished his tirade at an almost yell. He then took a few moments to calm down before continuing. "Seriously Jox, you are one of the nicest guys I know and you have no reason to think Ares will never want you."   
  
Joxer had begun to stare at the floor during Strife's rant but now his head began to lift. In an extremely quiet voice Joxer asked, "You really think so?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so, Jox. Jox you just gotta believe in yourself a bit more. And never listen to what Gobby the Harpy Bard tells you." Joxer smiled at the term Strife applied to the bard. "Anyway, Jox, I'd better get going. I only stopped by to say hello."  
  
"Thanks Strife, say hi to Cupid for me." Joxer said with a wink to his friend. Strife looked at his friend in shock for a few moments before flashing away. 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
"Hey dad." Cupid, God of Love said as he flashed into his father, Ares God of War's temple. Ares had an ever present scowl on his face, but as his son entered the temple his face brightened slightly. Ares was lounging on his throne and musing about the man he was in love with when his son interrupted his thoughts.   
  
"Hey son." Ares said quietly.   
  
"Are you ok dad?" Cupid asked as he made his way over to his father.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ok." Ares said unconvincingly.  
  
"Yeah, right and I'm just going to go and start a war." Cupid said sarcastically. "What's up Dad?"  
  
"I've already told you there is nothing wrong." Ares said irritation beginning to appear in his tone of voice. Cupid regarded his father for a few moments before realisation hit.  
  
"Oh my God's, you're in love!" Cupid exclaimed. Ares' head whipped around to pin his son with a glare that scared all of his warlords into submission. However, Cupid was not one of his warlords and so the glare had absolutely no effect whatsoever."Who is she? Come on dad spill."   
  
Ares thought for a few moments before finally making a decision. "Ok, fine. I'll tell you who it is. It's Joxer."  
  
Cupid stood and stared at his father for a few minutes. "Joxer! Inept warrior Joxer?" Ares growled at the insult toward his beloved, but restrained himself from yelling at his son.  
  
"Yes Joxer, and he is not inept. Just untutored. He has the potential to be a great fighter, but I don't want him that way. I love Joxer just the way he is and to make him into a warrior would change him. It would make him bloodthirsty and savage and I just couldn't handle seeing him like that. I love that he's so sweet and kind and gentle..." Ares trailed off dreamily and a smile appeared on Cupid's face.   
  
* Well, well, well, Dad's in love and it is so the real thing. The look on his face alone is enough to tell me that he loves Joxer. Joxer, who'd have thought it. *   
  
"Well Dad I just dropped by to ask if you'd mind looking after Bliss while I go and find Psyche." Ares growled at the mention of his son's wife.  
  
"Son, why are you still with her. You know you don't love her and its not like she's being faithful to you. Cupid, I want to see you happy and you never will be if you stay with her."  
  
"I know that dad, but I have to stay with her for Bliss' sake. He can't grow up without his mother and I know she's not being faithful to me, I did catch her in bed with Apollo, remember? Look Dad, I know I'll never be happy with her, but I have Bliss and he's all I need. I love my son, dad and I have to do what's best for him!" Cupid had begun to yell and had to take a few minutes to calm himself down. "Look dad, I'm sorry, but I have to do what I think is best for my son."  
  
Ares rose from his throne and walked over to Cupid. "I know son, I just hate seeing you unhappy". Ares pulled his son into an uncharacteristic hug. "I just want you to be happy Cupe, you are my son and i am allowed to worry about you you know." Ares finished with a grin at his son. Cupid smiled back at his father secretly pleased that his father worried about him.  
  
* No-one gets to see him like this. He is really caring and kind, but nobody knows. To them he's just war, bloodthristy and cruel. It is so untrue, he does what he has to because his job demands it, but he is such a nice guy. I think I'll go find Strife later and see if he can help make dad happy. Strife, oh crap why does Strife have to be the only other person who can help. Mom's busy so I can't ask her. Oh man, i so so don't want to see Strife, mainly because i might jump him. Oh for crying out loud why does he have to be so cute? Damn it, why do I have to be in love with him? One, he's straight, why the hell would he want me? Two, i'm MARRIED to a cheating bitch who i can't leave because she happens to be the mother of my son. And finally I love him and he will never love me, I'm just his boss' weird, soft son. Oh I wish I had a chance with him and to let him get to know me. Oh crap, i'm moping again. I so have to stop thinking now. *  
  
"Anyway, I'm going to go and get Bliss now."   
  
"See you later Cupid." Ares returned to his throne as his son flashed away. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
Strife entered his own temple in a sombre and reflective mood.   
  
* I'd better go and find 'Dite pretty soon because Jox has obviously got it bad and I know for a fact that Unc likes Jox too... *  
  
Strife's thoughts trailed off as the tell-tale sign of a God attempting to enter his temple made shivers run up his spine. As Strife contemplated just how he was going to get this God to leave without sounding too rude, or getting himself blasted into a wall by a fireball, Cupid appeared in the room with Bliss in his arms. When Strife had shaken himself from the arousal induced stupor seeing Cupid put him in he opened his arms to Bliss who was currently half flying, half walking toward him.   
  
"Hey Blissy, and how is my favourite little guy doing today?" Strife asked as Bliss settled into his arms.   
  
"I'm fine Strifey." Bliss mumbled as he began to fall asleep. Strife looked down at the little Godling in his arms.  
  
* This kid is the image of his father, all blonde hair and blue eyes and those cute little wings. That Psycho bitch is beyond lucky. *  
  
The object of Strife's affections chose this moment in time to speak.  
  
"Hey Strife." Cupid said rather quietly.   
  
"Hey Cupe." Strife answered just as quietly. "You alright man? You have a really weird look on your face."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, Strife I need to talk to you."  
  
* OK, this so doesn't sound good *  
  
"Ok, well let me just go put Bliss on my bed and we can talk." Strife left the room for a few moments with Bliss in arms before returning minus the little Godling. "So what did you need to talk about Cupe?" Strife asked with a certain sense of foreboding in his tone.  
  
"It's about Dad." A worried look crossed Strife's features.  
  
"What about him, is he alright?" Cupid smiled slightly at the look of worry on Strife's face before speaking again.  
  
"He's fine, but he could be better." Cupid said cryptically.  
  
"What do you mean?" Strife asked.  
  
"Well, Dad's in love and he's really unhappy, although he doesn't show it, because he thinks that the person he loves doesn't love him." Cupid declared in a sad tone of voice. A small grin began to from on Strife's face.   
  
"Oh, this is briliant!" Strife said as he began to dance around the room.  
  
* What in Tartarus is going on with Strife, but he does look really hot dancing around like that...NO! Focus *  
  
"What in Tartarus is so brilliant that you are dancing around the room?" Cupid asked. Strife stopped dancing around the room and stood in front of Cupid.   
  
"Oh, Cupe this is so brilliant because I just came from talking with Jox and he's depressed as well!" With that Strife once again began to dance around the room.  
  
* This guy sooo has to start finishing his stories, but he does look incredibly....AAAAGH. I am a love God for crying out loud, I can control myself and my thoughts. *  
  
"Strife, what the fuck are you talking about? Why is it good that Joxer is depressed?"  
  
"It's good because he was just telling me how much he loves unc and he's depressed because he doesn't think that unc loves him back." Strife was on to giggling as this point and Cupid began to worry.  
  
"Strife, you're giggling now and I'm starting to get worried. What is so funny, and how do you know that dad loves Joxer, and how do you know Joxer loves dad?!" Cupid asked his voice rising in volume as his tirade continued.   
  
Strife moved to stand before Cupid, resisiting the urge to either dance some more, or jump up, wrap his legs around Cupid's hips and scream "Take me!"  
  
"What's so funny is that Jox and Unc are in love with each other, but refuse to even think that the other feels the same way, I know Unc loves Jox because it's unbelievably fucking obvious and I know Jox loves Unc because for the last four years thats been pretty much all Joxer has talked about." Strife finished, gulping in air after his long speech.   
  
Cupid slowly assimilated all the information just thrown at him in one fell swoop before taking a deep breath.   
  
"Joxer loves him back?" Cupid asked astounded that he had missed that piece of information given his profession.   
  
"Oh yeah totally. Jox never stops speaking about him. And I mean never, thing is he doesn't realise he's doing it. He sort of unconciously vents to me and then seems to supress all memory of it afterward." Strife said moving to sit down on one of the near-by benches in his temple, this being one of the few that did't have assorted weaponry littered across it. Cupid followed him and sat beside him but at a respectable distance considering the fact that Strife was very fetching flushed with excitement.  
  
*'Fetching' read fuckable*  
  
Cupid scoffed to himself.   
  
"So, what are we gonna do?" Cupid asked, determination blatantly obvious in his expression.  
  
*Oooh, determination, I love that expression, I wonder if thats what he would look like thrusting inside me....No! Fuck man, pull yourself together, he doesn't like you, he'll never want you, deal with it! Focus, you have to come up with a plan to make Unc and Jox happy. They can have what they truly desire.*  
  
Strife felt a moment of dispondancy, however, he was the God of Mischief dammit and no bout of unrequited love was going to get him down! You'd see Hades wearing a silk nightie before that ever happened.   
  
*Now that is an interesting image that I never want to imagine ever again.*  
  
Pulling a face Strife pasted a look of determination on his face similar to Cupid's he steeled himself and stood up. 


End file.
